Klaus Schulze - Irrlicht. 1972 Germany

Klaus Schulze's debut is a dense work, bordering serious Classical. No trademark sequencers to be found here. Systems music with an orchestra, or as the cover suggests Quadrophonische Symphonie für Orchester und E-Maschinen (I'm telling you, Spelling Bee champions in Germany must be impressive!) To me, at first, the strings sounded like mellotron - just in the way the sound is presented. This is music to write about the end of society as we know it. A dirge. Dark, abstract, formless. 

Ownership: LP: 1972 Ohr. Beautiful Gatefold (with the requisite Made in Germany sticker on the back). Purchased in 1990 at the Sound Exchange in Austin, Texas. Still has the price sticker affixed to the label - $7.99. So there you have it. I was with long time collector friend Purple Peak Jeff, and we went there after the Austin Record Show. Junkies we were (are). Been ages and ages since I last heard this album, before today.

10/13/90; 12/31/21 (new entry)

Tasavallan Presidentti. 1971 Finland

Tasavallan Presidentti's second album, released only in Sweden oddly enough, is very much in the spirit of other albums from the UK and Continental Europe during this time. Bands as disperse as Colosseum, Ahora Mazda, Tonton Macoute, Zior, and Ikarus come to mind. Strong woodwinds (flute;sax), gruff vocals from Englishman Frank Robson, and excellent guitar from Jukka Tolonen highlight this excellent period piece. If you're already a fan of early 70s European progressive rock, then Tasavallan Presidentti's sophomore effort is one more to add to your stack.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Columbia / EMI (Sweden). Single sleeve and it still has the original EMI audiophile inner. Online acquisition from 2013. Almost 9 years later, I'm finally hearing this copy (and add another decade since I heard the album at all). Because it was released in Sweden, and not Finland nor the UK, it's by far the scarcest of the Tasavallan Presidentti albums. Prior to the LP, I did own the CD (2002 EMI Finland), which offers a nice history (preserved below) and lyrics. No bonus tracks. Just not enough there to keep it.

new entry

xxx

yyy

Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers. 1984 England

The hype sticker on my copy screams "Destiny Brought Them Together. Again." So we'll presume then that it was destiny that intervened and broke them up. Again. Or it could just be that Blackmore and Gillan couldn't stand each other. But on this reunion of the famous "Mk. II" band, their first together since 1973, the band sounded fresh. 1984 was an odd time for an old fashioned hard rock band to be trying to make a comeback in a world full of heavy metal bands and New Wave pop artists. Undeterred, Deep Purple did just that. The title track sounding more classic Led Zeppelin than Deep Purple, nonetheless they caught fire and Deep Purple were back in the limelight for the first time in a decade. Jon Lord's organ hasn't changed one bit (no need for cheap synthesizers), Blackmore is ripping solos in his inimitable way, and Gillan is still sounding like a virile young man. The only downside is that Glover and Paice did decide to sound more 80s, and the wide open beats are too simple for these guys. 'Burn' this is not. All the same, a triumphant comeback album.

Ownership: LP: 1984 Mercury (USA). Single sleeve with lyric insert. Another album I picked up for $1 at the Denver record show (perfect mint too - much better than this Discogs copy). I bought my first copy not long after release while still in college. Like so many records of its type, I sold it in the mid 90s to pare down the collection (to be fair, I was moving a lot, and didn't have the space in the apartments I lived in). Today we have the space, and don't plan on going anywhere. And - I like this much better than I did then!

12/31/21 (new entry)

Deep Purple - Purpendicular. 1996 England

One of my favorite pastimes of late is enjoying past-their-prime releases of known bands. Uriah Heep, Saxon, and... now add Deep Purple to that list. If nothing else, gives me something to look for while combing the thrift shop CD bins. I had a grade on this from before, but I don't remember a thing about it, which tells me I probably heard it real time. Back then I wasn't so keen on these "has-beens" trying to stay relevant. I also didn't give it a chance I'm sure. In reflection, I'm hearing the classic Deep Purple sound 20+ years from their best years. And when one looks at the line-up, it's Mk. 2 with Steve Morse instead of Blackmore on guitar. Which is sacrilege for many, but Blackmore left Purple behind a couple of times, and hasn't looked back since 1993. So what's a band to do - quit? No. Persevere. Bands as brands as I've said many times before. This is pretty much 70s hard rock with Hammond organ (yep, the old warhorse Jon Lord is still banging away on the heavy piece of wood) and Morse providing a more updated guitar approach (i.e. more notes per minute). Gillan sounds great, and his bluesy voice is timeless. Paice and Glover are a machine by this point. Good set of tunes. What else do you need? 

Ownership: CD: 1996 Prominent (USA). This was part of that large October thrift score. The booklet is a multi foldout poster, the kind that always gets dogeared and rumpled later. Still a nice presentation. 

10/22/21; 12/31/21 (new entry)

Deep Purple - The Book of Taliesyn. 1968 England

Clearly Deep Purple were going towards heady waters with a title and cover like this, especially for 1968. In fact, Deep Purple had to make a conscious decision to move away from prog and over to hard rock eventually, and it was there they found fame and fortune. I had my best listen in 35 years this go round (+1). Really appreciating Jon Lord's Hammond organ contributions at this point of the group's career.

Ownership: LP: 1971 Harvest. Online acquisition (2020) at a steal of a price ($5). Superb glossy gatefold cover tops off the package. This replaces the Japanese papersleeve CD (wonderful thick gatefold, but offers nothing else) which in turn replaced the 80s LP reissue that I originally picked up brand new while in college (1986). It was an odd 80s reissue at the time, and not a very good one at that, consistent with the era. 

1986; 2//05; 10/19/21 (LP roundup); 12/31/21 (new entry)

Ambrosia. 1975 USA-California

For many years I scoffed at the notion that Ambrosia were somehow one of America's finest progressive rock bands. Which if we were to compare to bands like Cathedral, Yezda Urfa, and Mirthrandir, that would still hold true. But for the general buying public, the US didn't offer much in that way. There was Starcastle of course, which met its own chorus of derision, for an entirely different reason. The type of groups that got a foothold here were the ones that had a strong commercial sensibility. If the mindset moves towards Styx, Alan Parsons Project, Supertramp, Klaatu, FM, Saga, and early Journey - then Ambrosia has a seat at that table. Of course the previous aren't all American groups, but it's that particular style that the A&R guys were interested in signing. The arrangements go way beyond trivial pop slop, and there's genuine progressive rock hidden in these grooves. As I've gotten older, I'm appreciating more and more this kind of sound - a combination of nostalgia and objective evaluation I'd submit. So yea, this one stays.

Ownership: LP: 1975 20th Century. Single sleeve. I'd been on the lookout for this album in the wilds for the last 3 years, but it's been surprisingly scarce. If couch surfing, you can score a copy cheap and easy. This one came from the Denver Record show a couple of months ago out of someone's $1 bin (2021). The record is in EX shape, but the cover is VG- and it's missing the lyric insert, so I'll keep looking for a better copy.

12/28/21 (new entry)

Steve Hillage - Fish Rising. 1975 England

Steve Hillage's debut is sort of an amalgam of You-era Gong and Hatfield & The North. Certainly the godfather of modern space rock, Hillage's group looks like a proto Ozric Tentacles, complete with wool caps, goofy names, and crazy song titles. Then there's Dave Stewart, probably the last guy to go in for such tropes, though he has history with Arzachel doing just that. With Hillage. Ah what the heck, one more time going out getting high with the boys (and girls) from school before getting serious. Well, sort of serious. So yea, Canterbury goes space rock. A combination that can be nothing but great, especially if one sticks to protocol. And they did.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Virgin. Single sleeve with lyric insert and a Virgin company audiophile inner. Cool artwork. This is an odd one really. For whatever reason, I never stumbled onto the album in my initial used record forays while in college. And there's multiple US pressings to find. When I started hanging around like-minded friends after graduation, it was a glaring omission in the collection. It wasn't until 1992 that I finally secured a copy - an older pressing used CD. Well, good enough. Finally in 2014 I bought a UK first pressing original online, and stored it away. This is the first time I've listened to it, almost 8 years later. Looking at the vinyl, this might be the first time anyone has played it. Perfect mint. That old CD doesn't offer anything (except instructions on how to play a CD - in 4 different languages lol). C'ya!

new entry

Styx - Equinox. 1975 USA-Illinois

One of the earliest albums I ever owned, I pretty much have this album memorized. It was one of my favorites when I was 13, a couple of years after its release. The album's two openers 'Light Up' and 'Lorelei' were FM radio staples in the late 70s. Both feature punchy synths and hard rocking guitars, the new formula for Styx once they joined the A&M record label stable. The only 2 tracks I don't recall are the last couple of cuts on the A side. I should remember 'Mother Dear' though, as it's an excellent organ driven proggy number. Perhaps a look back to their earliest albums. 'Lonely Child', yea OK, it's pretty forgettable. All of side 2 kicks ass. 'Midnight Ride' is patented James Young hard rock, with some ripping solos, and I've always appreciated his rough n' ready vocals. 'Born For Adventure' is another heavy prog oriented number, with some great bass work, and we used to go wild as kids when they phased the vocals towards the end. But it's closer 'Suite Madame Blue' that wins the blue ribbon, and is arguably the greatest progressive rock composition in Styx's career. The bit where the synthesizer melts down and the heavy guitar riff comes in and then they start singing "America" in harmony sends chills up one's spine. Equinox is part of my DNA by now, so no chance for objectivity here.

Ownership: LP: 1975 A&M. Single sleeve with lyric inner. Picked up in 2019 at a garage sale for $1. Stone mint too - way better than the copy I owned decades ago. Now that I think about it, that first copy was a gift from my Mom for something I did right (that would be rare...). Replaces the commodity CD that replaced my first LP.

1978; 7//05; 12/18/12; 12/27/21 (new entry)

Styx - Crystal Ball. 1976 USA-Illinois

I've owned this album in one form or another since 1978, when I was just starting to get into record collecting as an early teen. Styx was my first "favorite band" and even had a belt buckle of their emblem. Hey, I was a kid. Wish I still had it, I'm sure it's worth quite a bit today. Maybe I would even wear it! Yea, and my wife would kill me, so scratch that. In any case, Crystal Ball was never one of my favorites by the band and I hear it weaker than the two it sits between. But JY's hard rocking opener 'Put Me On' and Dennis DeYoung's slick 'Jennifer' provide some highlights. Crystal Ball is, of course, Tommy Shaw's debut with the band and he wrote the title track. It's a signature tune, and foreshadowed his excellent songwriting abilities for future albums. Side 2 kind of wheezes out even though it has progressive rock ambition.  Still an excellent album in my estimation.

Ownership: LP: 1976 A&M. Single sleeve with lyric inner. I picked up this LP at a record store in Denver earlier this year. This replaces the commodity CD that had, in turn, replaced my dogeared and scratched up childhood copy.

1978; 10/17/21; 12/27/21 (new entry)

Lisker. 1979 Spain

Lisker's sole album is a rather simplistic, primarily instrumental album filled with fuzz guitar and flute, nice melodies, and a healthy amount of energy. From the above statement, two items are worth calling out: 1) The melodies are well thought-out, and are memorable long after the music has stopped. And 2) the guitar tone is decidedly psychedelic, which is quite the rarity for a 1979 recording. Lisker tracks close to the French band Triode in terms of overall sound. And the melodic quotient could make one state that Lisker is to the Basque Country what Gotic is to Catalonia. Plus the psychedelic influences of course. Excellent album.

Ownership: LP: 1979 Xoxoa. Gatefold. There was a time when this was highly sought after and very expensive. I obtained my original copy in a trade back in 1994 from a well known European dealer. When the CD came out, I couldn't resist trading it to a friend / dealer for 30 new CDs. Even today, I question whether or not that was a good idea. But money was much more scarce then for the UMR. However, as is often the case, I reacquired arguably even a better copy, at a cheaper price from a good friend of the UMR in late 2018. This replaces the aforementioned CD that offers nothing else. 

7/7/13; 12/9/18

Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking. 1969 England

Iconic folk rock album by highly respected English band Fairport Convention. It wasn't that long ago I spoke of my disappointment after hearing Full House, as I heard that as too traditional English folk for my tastes. Largely I could make the same claim here about Fairport's 3rd studio effort, but there are some exceptions, in particular 'Autopsy' and especially the 11+ minute 'A Sailor's Life'. There's just enough here to make me want to keep this, with special consideration given the ownership situation below. And I have to say that the cover is perfect, and gives it a real dimension you rarely see from this era. Those could have been my grandparents, looking somewhat similar in 1969. And to know that Sandy Denny met a tragic end at only 31, is that much more heartbreaking.

Ownership: LP: 1969 Island. Single sleeve. Yes, this is a true first edition UK pink Island with the "block" logo design. This came from the RT collection (2021), and represents for me the bookend of a year long journey that began with Yusef Lateef's Detroit Latitude album. When I add up all the miscellaneous factors here, this one goes into the must keep category.

12/27/21 (new entry)

Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. 1986 Sweden

There are times when an album is released that no one could possibly anticipate its historical impact. And that most certainly is the case for Candlemass' debut. In 1986, thrash metal was dominating the underground, and bands were popping up everywhere to be the next Metallica. So what did this unknown band from Sweden do? Slowed it way down, and referenced early 70s Black Sabbath. At the same time they brought interesting lyrical themes and a grandiose approach to the compositions. A genre was born: Epic Doom Metal. It would be many years before anyone even recognized that it was happening. Candlemass had a strong run through the end of the 80s and petered out in the 90s like most metal bands from the decade prior. They floundered along through the early 2000's, only to be held in the highest esteem upon Messiah Marcolin's (brief) return in 2005. By that time Candlemass were the band everyone was chasing to be. When reviewing the music, it's not the heaviest production one can hear, and some ideas are stretched longer than they need to be. But its impact remains timeless, a powerful statement going into strong headwinds. That's the definition of true metal. My personal favorite among the 6 lengthy tracks is 'Under the Oak' which features a massive riff that Iommi would be proud of. Interesting to note that iconic vocalist Marcolin isn't on this debut, but rather a guest by the name of John Langquist. Many consider him Candlemass' best singer. Somewhat similar to Greg Munford and the Strawberry Alarm Clock.

Ownership: LP: 2010 Peaceville (UK); CD: 1992 Leviathan / Black Dragon (USA). The LP is a beautiful gatefold pressed on red vinyl, sounds terrific, and features insightful liner notes for each track inside the centerpiece. Also included is an inner sleeve with historical footnotes. The CD is basic, and I don't even recall how I ended up with it, but I didn't buy it new. It's an early pressing, which has some demand, but I think I'll keep it anyway. The first copy I owned was the original Leviathan LP (USA) purchased while still in college (1987). This was an excellent example of my "silted port" metal LP collection that sat dormant for 25+ years. It comes in a single sleeve that had a huge cut corner. It was one of the few I decided to let go of in recent times, to no regret. Especially now that I have this much superior reissue, that I bought at What's Left the first time I visited the store last year, right after they opened. A great way to start our relationship!

new entry

Strange Days - 9 Parts to the Wind. 1975 England

Strange Days comes from the last throes of UK progressive rock in 1975. Similar to other bands of its ilk, namely Druid, Kestrel, Time, and Fruupp - Strange Days went boldly forward with a combination of complex progressive rock, with a lucid dose of commercial material just in case a high powered record executive might tune in. They didn't, and off to the obscurity grave went Strange Days. But for deep divers of arcane progressive rock, don't miss this gem. The last two tracks in particular demonstrate that Strange Days were a group to be reckoned with, and include many complex progressions. Oddly, the lengthiest tune with the overtly proggy moniker 'The Journey' is mostly a tedious Broadway play styled production, and is the weakest link to an otherwise super album.

Ownership: LP: 1975 Retreat/EMI. Laminated single sleeve with lyric inner. Purchased online in 2016. I was sort of late to the party on this album. I'm not sure how I missed this album in my initial accumulation of LPs, but it just never came across my desk. The Japanese papersleeve CD, which arrived many years later, was my introduction to the album. The CD includes their one 45 as well, though it's not unique enough to hold onto, since it's truncated songs from the album proper.

8/9/15

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Garofano Rosso. 1976 Italy

The odd album out in the Banco del Mutuo Soccorso canon, though they were to repeat it again on Di Terra. That is, this is Banco without vocals! Francesco di Giacomo is such an integral part of the band, it doesn't seem possible to hear the music without him. And he's still a member, being credited here with "documentazione". The music (a soundtrack to an Italian TV series) is still patently Banco DMS, though they're changing with the times and adding more jazzy elements to their sound. The Nocenzi brothers continue to lead the band with their organs, pianos, and synthesizers ripping away. You'll hear some familiar themes from past albums as well. The music isn't as edgy or as epic as their earlier efforts, but taken on its own account, Garofano Rosso is a fine listen.

Ownership: LP: 1976 Manticore. Single textured sleeve. Recent purchase from a Baltimore record store while there on business. My first copy was the Orrizonte pressing going back to the late 80s. I sold it in the 90s while purging parts of the collection. Not long ago I obtained the Japanese CD. There are apparently two original pressings of this album. The more familiar would be the smooth cover, and this is confirmed by the Japanese mini-LP, which are usually meticulous about replicating first editions. However my cover is textured with an "orange peel" pattern. This version would appear to be more obscure. The CD doesn't really offer much more, so I'll let it go.

12/26/21 (new entry)

Scorpions - Tokyo Tapes. 1978 Germany

Tokyo Tapes represents the swan song for Uli Roth as a member of the Scorpions. He was always a square peg in a proverbial round hole anyway, but for my tastes, he was the most creative member of the band. He was also the final link to their psychedelic past. Not surprisingly, the majority of the material comes from their RCA years, most notably Taken By Force, Virgin Killer, and In Trance, with a nod to Fly to the Rainbow and one track from Lonesome Crow (the least representative unfortunately). The album opens with the unreleased 'All Night Long' which is in the now-patented straightforward hard rock sound that Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker had adopted by then. Then a couple of Virgin Killer run-throughs gets us to one of the highlights of Tokyo Tapes: 'Polar Nights'. As I've said many times before, live albums are pretty useless if you play the studio versions verbatim. This is the one place that Roth gets in some improvisation - especially the opening. One wishes for it to go another 10 more minutes, it's so awesome. And he really lets loose on the solos later on in the piece. The other Roth great moment is the stinging intro (see what I did there...) to 'Dark Lady'. Other highlights includes the psychedelic oriented 'Fly to the Rainbow' and 'We'll Burn the Sky", the B-sider 'Suspender Love', and the hard rocking 'Speedy's Coming'. All one can do is imagine how awesome this live set would have been if it included other Roth penned tunes like 'Drifting Sun', 'Hell Cat', and 'Sails of Charon', with the latter omission being almost criminal since it was on the preceding Taken By Force.  Honestly though, take Roth out of the mix, and this album becomes unnecessary. For their part, the Scorpions were ready for the next chapter, when they hired on guitarist Matthias Jabs to replace Roth, changed labels to Mercury, and muscled up for the oncoming heavy metal onslaught. Uli Roth went on to form the also excellent Electric Sun.

Ownership: LP: 1978 RCA (Japan). Gatefold. 2xLP. Acquired at the Denver Record Show (2021). I'd been on the lookout for the album in the wilds for the last 3 years, but no such luck. I sure never expected to get the original Japanese version! Not cheap, but below online market prices. The rose cover is much different than the US cover, and it features an embossed scorpion on the front. Also includes a 4 page insert with lyrics in English and liner notes in Japanese. 

I first got into the Scorpions in early 1980 with Lovedrive (while still in my freshman year of high school), and Tokyo Tapes was my next purchase. It was the commodity US pressing on RCA. I played it to death, oftentimes on my Dad's old Japanese stereo from the late 50s, that had a heavy tonearm and (probably) destroyed needle.

1980; 6//05; 11/5/11; 12/26/21 (new entry)

Scorpions - Animal Magnetism. 1980 Germany

I bought this album when it first came out. I was already an established Scorpions fan, having seen them live, and was most excited about their new album. It didn't disappoint. Nor did it enthrall. I wanted more from the Scorpions by this point (1980). But certainly I was pleased and held onto it for many years. Ultimately I tired of this kind of metal-lite, and when purging the LP collection in the mid 90s, I let this one go. About a decade later, nostalgia begins to creep in, and since I was buying new CDs for pennies on the dollar, let's throw this in the pile. Now I appreciate more the music on hand. And let's fast forward to a month ago, and I found a perfect mint LP copy (still in shrink) for all of $9. I didn't get punished for letting it go in this case - and it's in far better shape than my original would have been. 

Time for a serious listen. The Scorps really missed an opportunity here from an underground perspective. They were adored by hardcore metal fans, even though they really weren't such a beast. If they were going lay down the gauntlet, Animal Magnetism should have been that album. Established band with street cred, and a heavy sound, this was their time. But instead they had other ambitions, which did pay off for them in the end. But with a different crowd. You're not going to get too far into a discussion about 80s power ballads without mention of the Scorpions. And it's the primary reason why their albums go for $9 today, while Judas Priest and Iron Maiden go for much more. But Animal Magnetism doesn't really have power ballads either. Their one attempt 'Lady Starlight' doesn't suck, so you know they hadn't mastered it yet lol. Mostly this is dog and butterfly, with an emphasis on the dog. And that's why the album works. And the final two tracks give the album its quality reputation in the underground. Or I should say, allowed them to keep their reputation. 'The Zoo' and the title track are heavy dirges that just pulverize the listener. It was the opposite of the fast pace I was looking for at the time, but both have proved to transcend time, and provides a fascinating 11 minute close to an otherwise normal metal album. And besides, 'The Zoo' has the most talk box outside of Frampton Comes Alive... 

Ownership: LP: 198? Mercury. Single sleeve. Black label, so likely from 1985 or so. This version doesn't include the lyric inner. Purchased at a local brick and mortar store (2021). The LP will be around a long time - 42 years (and going) of nostalgia is hard to beat. The CD offers nothing extra, so it can go.

1980; 2005; 2015; 8/4/21; 12/26/21 (new entry)